Toilet seat lifting mechanism



Dec. 24, 1968 P.R. GREENWOOD 3,417,42-1

TOILET SEAT LIF'IING IECHANISM Filed Dec. 5. 1966 N TOR 3Q H-nup ggauwoon a V l a,

I ATr-omae United States Patent 3,417,411 TOILET SEAT LIFTING MECHANISM Philip R. Greenwood, 1404 Pere St., Toledo, Ohio 43609 Filed Dec. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 599,226 Claims. (Cl. 4-251) The present invention relates to a foot operated toilet seat lifting mechanism and more particularly to an attachment for a toilet bowl and seat combination for facilitating the raising of the toilet seat relative to the toilet bowl by foot pressure of a person on the mechanism.

It is oftentimes desirable to be able to raise the toilet seat of a toilet in public restroom accommodations without employing the persons hands. Manifestly, such is desirable from the readily apparent hygenic standpoint.

A principal object of the present invention is to produce a foot operated toilet seat lifting mechanism which may be readily attached to existing toilet seat and bowl combinations with a minimum of adjustment of existing components.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a foot operated toilet seat lifting mechanism which may be lifted by foot pressure to hold the seat in a raised position and is releasable to permit the seat to descend by gravity to its position on top of its associated bowl.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a foot operated toilet seat lifting mechanism which is durable and simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a toilet seat and bowl combination employing the lifting mechanism of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1 showing the toilet seat in its raised position; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the mechanism illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 showing the toilet seat in its lowered position on top of the associated toilet bowl.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a toilet assembly comprising a toilet bowl of the well known configuration having at the upper marginal edge a surrounding rim 12, the uppermost surface of which is substantially in a horizontal plane; a tank 14 disposed rearwardly of the bowl 10, and extending above the plane of the top surface of the bowl; a water connection 16 between the bottom of the tank 14 and a water supply; and a seat 18 disposed above the top surface of the bowl 10* and pivotally hinged at its rear end to the rear of the bowl 10 by a pair of spaced apart hinge members 20 and 22. It will be apparent that the toilet bowl, tank, and seat combination may be of a form well known in the art and therefore, a more detailed illustration and description is considered unnecessary for the purposes of the invention.

The foot operated seat lifting mechanism of the present invention comprises a generally L-shaped base frame member including a first leg 24 having a longitudinally extending slot 26 formed therein and a second leg 28 disposed at substantially right angles to the first leg 24. The first leg 24 is adapted to be disposed between the uppermost surface of the rear portion of the bowl 10 and the hinged members 20 and 22 with the respective threaded fasteners for the hinged members extending within the slot 26.

A crank arm 30 of a generally inverted V-shape is pivotally attached to the forwardly extending free end of the second leg 28 at 32. The innermost end of the crank arm 30 is provided with a perpendicularly extending roller 34, the free end of which is disposed to rest against the lower surface of the seat 18. The axis of rotation of the roller 34 is parallel to the pivot axis of the hinged members 20 and 22.

At the outermost downwardly depending portion of the free end of the arm 30, there is a foot pedal 36, the upper surface of which can be provided with an anti-slip pattern or can be covered with a rubber, plastic, or the like of material.

At the rear of the second leg 28, there is a seat stop element 38 having a vertically extending section, the lower end of which is suitably secured to the leg 28, and a horizontally extending section which is provided with a notch 40 formed to accommodate the roller 34 and allow the same to nest therein in its lower inoperative position. The seat stop element 38 is typically provided with rounded edge sections or, in certain instances, may be covered or coated with a rubber or other material to militate against scratching or marring of the upper surface of the seat 18.

With the above described arrangement, when downward foot pressure is applied to the foot pedal 36, the crank arm 30 is pivoted about the pivot 32 causing the roller 34 to move upwardly and roll against the bottom surface of the seat 18 causing the same to pivot upwardly about the hinge members 20 and 22. Since the roller 34 is the only moving element which contacts the seat 18, no scratching or marring of the seat 18 can occur because of the rolling contact between the roller and the undersurface of the seat. The upward movement of the seat 18 is limited by the stop element 38. When the seat 18 has been pivoted upwardly a suflicient amount to contact the horizontally extending portion of the stop element 38, upward movement of the seat is then stopped. When the foot pressure is released from the foot pedal 36, the weight of the seat 18 is sufiicient to cause the seat to return to its position of rest against the top surface of the bowl 10.

From the above description it will be appreciated that the invention has produced a foot operated toilet seat lifting mechanism comprising a minimum numer of components which can be readily attached to existing toilet assemblies by merely loosening thethreaded fasteners holding the seat to the toilet bowl, inserting the first leg 24 of the base frame, and then tightening the threaded fasteners.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statues, I have explained the principal and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with the toilet assembly including the bowl, a seat, and hinged means for hingedly connecting the seat to the bowl at the rear of the top of the bowl to permit pivotal movement between the top of the bowl and a position thereabove, a seat raising attachment comprising a base frame member including a first and a second leg disposed at substantially right angles to one another, the first leg being slotted and adapted to be positioned in secured relation with the hinged means, the second leg extending forwardly and adjacent the outer edge of the seat and terminating in a free end; a crank arm means for pivotally aflixing said crank arm to the free end of the second leg of said base frame-member; roller means atfixed to one of the arms of said crank arm and ex- 3 tending in contact beneath the bottom surface of the seat and arranged to extend parallel to the pivotal axis of the hinge means; and stop means attached to said base frame for limiting the upward pivotal movement of the seat.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said crank arm is of a generally inverted V-shape configuration having two arms joined together to form the apex of the V.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said crank arm is pivoted at the apex of the V.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein a foot pedal is formed on the end of the other arm of said crank arm opposite to that to which said roller means is afiixed.

5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said stop means includes a vertically extending section the lower end of which is connected to the second leg of said base frame member, and a horizontally extending section connected to the upper end of the vertically extending section projecting inwardly behind said seat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD J. GROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE TOILET ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE BOWL, A SEAT, AND HINGED MEANS FOR HINGEDLY CONNECTING THE SEAT TO THE BOWL AT THE REAR OF THE TOP OF THE BOWL TO PERMIT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE BOWL AND A POSITION THEREABOVE, A SEAT RAISING ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A BASE FRAME MEMBER INCLUDING A FIRST AND A SECOND LEG DISPOSED AT SUBTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER, THE FIRST LEG BEING SLOTTED AND ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN SECURED RELATION WITH THE HINGED MEANS, THE SECOND LEG EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND ADJACENT THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SEAT AND TERMINATING IN A FREE END; CRANK ARM 